Battery-lamp.



W. R. CLYMER.

BATTERY LAMP.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5.1914,

1,212,907. v P5tentedJa1L16,1917.'

IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNE Y Cleveland in the county STATES: PATENT OFFICE.

I B. CLYMEB, F CLEVELAND, OHIO ASSIGNOR NATIONAL CARBON COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

BATTERY-LAMP.

To all whom it may concern 'Beit known that I, WILLIAM R. CLYMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Batter -Lamps,

- ing means, and in another aspect to a re- ,as well as the larger types of value.

sistance rheostat therefor.

It'is well known that flashli ht batteries, ry batteries,

have a decreasing voltage during the life of the battery. The individual cells comprising the batteries havean initial E. M. F. between 1.5 and 1.6' volts and are used until this has decreased to g or even #17011. If

three cells are used in series, the" voltage applied to the lamp may therefore vary from 1.5to 4.8 voltsin certain cases. Furthermore, the decrease in voltage is more rapid when the cells arevfirst placedfinto'usethan' afterward. Asa result of this, .the greatest part of the serviceof such batteries is obtained at or below an E. M. F. ofone volt. It is impossible to secure an incandescent lamp that will "give good service over such a wide range of voltage. Instead of using a lamp suited for the initial or the final E. M. F., a lamp is employed that is adapted to a voltage somewhat below the initial For instance, a four volt or even a 3.6 volt lamp is used in connection with a battery 'ving an initial E. M. F. of 4.8 volts. 'l ie excess voltage sometimes causes the filaments to burn out and considerably shorten the life of the lamp. The unnecessary increased consumption of electrical energy at these voltages also decreases thelife of the battery. In order to secure a maximum lifefor the battery as well as the lamp, I use a resistance rheostat to cut down the excess M. F. durin the. first period of the life ofthe battery. y the useof my dea vice, either of two quantities of illumination may also be readily obtained by the user. a

In the accompanying drawings, 11 have shown my invention embodied in the,two most commonly used types of flashlights. V Figure 1 is apartia crosssection of a ocket flashlight having a resistance and ens adjusting arrangement combined there- V specification of Letters Patent. .ap u auon filed June 5, 1914. Serial no. 843,147.

Fig. 4.

Patented Jan. 16, 1917.

Referring-to the drawin s, more particularly Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the ashligh-t consists of a metal casing 1 having a removable botvtom 2, for-insertmg or removing the battery 3 consisting of a p urality ofdry cells. The battery is provided with two, protruding terminals 4 and '5 connected respectively to the end carbon and zinc, though the reverse may be used. The spring terminal 4 maintains the battery in position and consists of a flat metal strip bent over so as to make electri cal connection with the base of the 'incandescent lamp6 which is. threaded into an opening in the center of" the metal reflector 7. In order to shorten the length of the.

lamp arran ement the rim of the reflector rests on the ase of a tubular member 8 held in the casing 1. An open cap 9 is adjusts ably threaded-over the ferrule 8 and a; lens I 10 is held in the cap by a. coil spring 11.

By changing the position of the ca 9 on-the ferrule 8 the distance between the amp and atv the lens is varied and the focus of the light rays is altered. In this way the spread of the li ht beams may be varied so as to be suitab e for different purposes. V

A further important feature of my. im

proved flashlight resides in the novel con- I tact arrangement fastened to the casing 1.

This device consists of two flat and substantially parallel members 13' and 14separated 0 p by an insulating'block or sheet 15. The longer I member 13 which is preferably of sprm brass is riveted at one end to the casing'an at the'other end has an attached push button16'whichpassesthrough an opening 17 in the casing. Spring 13 is connected to springs as shown best n Fig. 3, to hold them rigidly together. a 1

By depressing the push". button slightly v A that the projection 18 is incontact' with the terminal but not with the spring 13," the current will pass through the resistance by way of the members 13 and 14 to thecasing 1, the tubular member 8, reflector 7', lamp 6 and spring 4 to complete the circuit. In this position the voltage and current acting on the lamp are decreased an amount depending on the ohmic resistance of the wire 19. With aterminal E. M. F. of 4.8,. this would be'suflicient to cut the lamp voltage down the required amount. .When the but- .ton is further depressed, the end 18 bends,

and thepush button end of the spring 13 contacts with it, which short circuits the resistance 19 and subjects the lamp to the full battery voltage. When the battery is new,

or if a diminished light is desired, the operator will push the button only enough to cause the end 18 to contact with the terminal 5. As the battery voltage decreases, or

if a brighter light is-desired, the button is .pushed till the. resistance is short circuited as described. I I

In the modification shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the same features as already described are adapted to a tubular battery having the cells 22 arranged end to end with the lamp in one end of the tube and the switch ,fastened to the cap which closes the other end. The lamp end of casing 21 has a reflector 23 therein with the lamp 24 threaded into a central opening.

Av lens 25 and a ,s ring 26 are fitted in a cap 27 which is t readed on the casing. The cap and the casing 'are each threaded a suflicient distance to permit the focus of the lens to be adjusted for the purpose and in the manner already described.

The circuit closing and resistance devices are contained in the cap 28 which is threaded 'adjustably on the casing. A layer of insulation such as a disk 29 of fiber board or As shown in Fig. 5, this disk has four inner lugs30 punched up or raised from its surface a and four outer lugs 31 similarly. punched and spaced between the first mentioned lugs. To maintain the battery in good contact with the lamp a spring 32 is enameled sheet metal is inserted in the cap.

inserted between the disk and battery and is coiled spring under the lugs 30.

One end ofa resistance coil 33 consisting of one or more'turns iselectrically connected to the bottom coil of the spring at 33' (Fig. 5) and the turns are fitted under the v outer lugs 31 as shown in Fig. 5. The other end of the resistance is; turnedin toward the center of the coil and is fastened to a cen tral rivet 36 passing through the cap. A second coil spring 34 somewhat shorter than the outer spring 32 isplaced within it and is fastened to a rivet 36 by means ofthe eye 35.

The rivet 36 passes through'a coiled. end or eye of the resistance 33 and through a large obtainable.

held in position by fitting one turn of'the opening 37 in the center of the cap, and clamps the contact spring 39 against the washer 38. The'springs 32, 34,-resistance coil 33, contact 39 and insulation di'sks 29,

38. arethus fastened to the cap and insulated therefrom. The opening in'the cap is sufliciently large to prevent the rivet from mak- .'ing contact with the cap.

When the cap is threaded over the casing a short dlstance as shown in the. drawing,

the outer spring 32 makes electrical contactwith the bottom of the zinc can and-when contact spring 39 is pressed into contact with casing 21, current passes through the damp, reflector, casing 21, contact; 39, rivet 36, resistance wire 33, outer spring 32 to the battery zinc.

If it is desired to cut out the resistance the cap is screwed farther-down upon the end of the casing until the short circuiting spring 34 makes electrical contact with the bottom of'theXzinc canwhich short circuits the resistance wire and 'onpushing contact spring 39, the circuit will be'com leted in the same manner as already descri withoutincluding the resistance. I

Instead of using a separate resistance, a material may-be used in spring 32 whichhas both resistance and resiliency. In this event, the s ecial resistance wire is eliminated and 0th functions would be performed by the springmernber32. -It will used as a short circuiting' arrangement insteadof a coiled spring. he rivet itself if prolonged may be used to. short circu t the also be evident that a fialspring could be resistancein which case spring 34 would be dispensed. with. The use of the spring, however, is preferable. It will also be evident that it is not necessary to wind the resistance I around the switch as in Figs. 1, 2

'and'3 as it could also be placed in other locations in the casing, although" the arrangement shown is preferable. The same 1s, of course, true of the modifications in Figs. 4 and 5.

The manner in which the arrangement described will be used will, of course depend on the nature of the service. If a very' bright light and narrow beam is desired, the resistance-will be short circuited V and the lens ad'usted the correct distance from the incan escent filament. This arrangement is especially suitable for meter reading where the face of the instrument 18 sometimes out of reach and must be brightly illuminated to make it possible to d1stin-' guish the characters. In most cases, however, it will be found advanta us .to use the resistance until the light omes too dim and then to short circuit as described. When the light again becomestoo dim, the.

lens will be adjusted toroduce a narrower beam, thus further pro onging the service I 1:0

ing, a cap ad ustablet ereon, a contact ing containing a seal and ing containing 1. In an electric flashli ht, a tubular member, a lam reflector, a l ens cap adjust able on said tu ular member,.a lens in said cap and a spring located between the reflector and the lens adapted to press the lens against the cap to allow adjustment of the position of the cap on the tubular member.

2. Inan electric flashli ht, a battery cascloser secured to but insulated from said cap, a resistance in the cap and means to short circuit the resistance when said cap is adjusted on the casing a predetermined amount.

3. In an electric flashlight, a battery cascap thereon, a contact closer secured to but insulated from said cap, aresistance inside the cap, a s ring adapted to contact with-a terminal 0 battery, a contact member connected to said closer adapted to contact with said terminal when the cap is adjusted on the casing a predetermined amount, and aresistance connected between said spring and said contact member.

4. In an electric flashlight, a battery casa cell, a cap adjustable thereon, an insulating disk inside the cap tact closer secured to said insulating disk, aicoil spring inside the cap secured to the disk, a second coil spring secured to the contact closer,

said,

, a cona coil of resistance wire secured to said disk, and connected to each of said p n a 5. 11 an electric flashlight, a battery cap having an insulating disk, a contact closer secured to the disk, a coil spring secured to thedisk, a .second coil spring ofless axial length than the first spring secured -to.said contact closer, and a resistance wire wound on said disk having one end connected to one spring and the other end to the other spring.

6. n an electric'flashlight, a battery having aterminal, a switch consisting of two spring members, insulating means therebetween, an electrical resistance conductor connected between said members and means" for movin one is ma e and on further movement, the two members are made to contact with each other.

7.111 an electric flashlight, a-battery casing containing a battery with a terminal, a spring member secured at one end to said casing, a second spring member secured to the first member with insulating means therebetween, and a resistance wire wound around said members and having 'an end connected to each.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature.

the members whereby the first WILLIAM R. CLYMER.

Witnesses:

F. H. ODELL, H. G. Gnovnn.

:soto touch the batteryterminal 

